Sorting machine



Junm I6, 1930. w. w. LAskER SORTING MACHINE 8 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June30, 1931 llllllllllJ ATTORNEY June 16, 1936. w w KE 2,044,120

SORTING MACHINE Filed June 50, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INIVENTOR QMMQK BY4741M:

ATTORNEY June 16, 1936.

w. w; LASKER SORTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 30, 1931 BYWMMI ATTORNEY June 16, 1936. w. w. LASKER SORTING' MACHINE Filed June 30,1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR w. w. LASKER HIS ATTORNEY June 16, 1936.w. w. LASKER: 2,044,120

SORTING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 7

INVENTOR W. W. LASKER- mag HIS AT ORNEY June 16, 1936. w. w. LASKER'2,044,120

SORTING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1931 a Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 5

INVENTCSR w. w. LASKER QQJW 15 AT? NEY W. W. LASKER SORTING MACHINEFiled June 30 l 5 5 7 9 l 5 v JiT-OIZ June-16, 1936.

ATTORNEY June 16, 1936. w. w. LASKER SORTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8Filed June 50, 1931 STRAIGHT PERFORATION SUBSTITUTIONS SENSING WIRESLEVERS INTERPRETER FIRING LEVERS WIRES POCKETS 43 WIRESGZ .UNLATCHEDFIRED 29 3| e -h-i PINS I 56 k f MM G m I. f .7 f4 Yr 6 4 .J-V 0. .J-k m56 46a-47a 46a DOUBLE FIELD COMBINATION PERFORATION SUBSTITUTIONSSENSING WIRES LEVERS INTERPRETER POCKETS 3! FIRING LEVFRS WIRES WIRES 6|UNLATCHED IRED 29 PINS V'INVENTORI If; ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Remington Rand Inc., poration of DelawareNew York, N. Y., a cor- Application June so, 1931, Serial No. 547,822

29 Claims. (01. 209-110) This invention relates to card sorting machinesfor general purposes and more particularly to machines for groupingperforated cards used in accounting and statistical analyzing systems.The invention as herein illustrated is directed to improvements insorters of the Powers type.

Sorting machines of the Powers type have, up to the time of the presentinvention, possessed the ability to sort perforated cards according toonly one code, and that. one the code for which the machine wasdesigned. Types of such machines are those disclosed in the patents toLasker 1,315,370, dated Sept. 9, 1919, 1,476,161, dated December 4,-1923, and 1,643,386, dated Sept. 27, 1927.- Hence some machines sortonly cards which are perforated according to the old and well knownIS-column system, others sort only cards punched according to theequally well known 90-column system and still others perform onlyaccording to some other specific code system. In no case hasmanipulative change from one code to another been possible.

'The present invention is directed to improvements in sorting machine's,whereby manipulative means permit a single sorting machine to sort cardsperforated according to a plurality of types of code.

One of the objects of this invention is to modify a well knownperforated card sorting mechanism so that it will accurately segregatethe cards regardless of whether they are punched according to the singleperforation code or according to the combination perforation code.

Another object of this inventionis to provide means whereby cardsperforated in a plurality of fields of the card may be sorted accordingto the perforations in any preselected field.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple manipulativemeans to change from straight code sorting to combination code sorting.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide means for sortingaccording to any one of several c'ombinational code perforations.

Another object of this invention is to disclose the basic mechanicalprinciples whereby sorting according to either straight or combinationcode may be effected regardless of the locations of the perforatedfield.

Another object of the present invention is to suggest basic principlesfor an extremely wide range of equivalent modes of accomplishing thegeneral results above enumerated.

The improvements are embodied in a machine for sorting data recordcards, perforated according'to'a plurality of,cods, and involve thecombination of card sensing means, pockets for the reception of saidcards,'which pockets are under control of gates, and a plurality ofoptional- 5 1y selectable coupling mechanisms therebetween, whereby thegates are controlled by' a series of substitutions according to theindices perforated in the cards.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description 'when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, .wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the right side of ausual form of the well known Powers sorting'machine with the inventionembodied therein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken from the same position as Fig. 1showing an attachment which is applied to the sorting machine andillustrating an embodiment of the invention comprising a series ofinterponents placed at a break in the Bowden wires which operate thecard gates.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view showing the front and side of the mechanismin Fig. 2 set for 45- colu 11, S0rting.

Fig. 4- is an isometric view of a typical train of connections showingthe 90-column interpreter I mechanism of this invention interposed inthe Bowden wire between a sensing pin and a card gate trigger.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.4 illustrating the interponent mechanismfor the 9 sensing pin.

Fig. 6 is a reduced scale isometric view of the firing lever restoringmechanism.

Fig. '7 is a conventionalized diagram of the connections which arenecessary for sorting cards perforated according to the so called45-column system (single hole code)- 40 Fig. 8 is a diagram similar toFig. 7 for sorting cards perforated according to the so called 90-column system (two hole code).

Fig. 9 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of the firing levercontrolling latches showing particularly the 9s control mechanism.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of the connections between the interpreter.wires for 45-column sorting as seen from the right and front of themachine.

Fig. 11 is a reduced view of an ordinary punched card showing 45-columnperforations in zone a, lower field 90-column perforations in zone b,and upper field 90-column perforations in zone c;

Field is that portion of a card which lies be tween two lines, eitherreal or imaginary, drawn parallel to the long edges of the card.

Zone is that portion of a card which lies between two lines, either-realor imaginary, drawn parallel to the short edges of the card.

Hence, in bank accounting, using 90-column cards, the amount of adeposit could well be described as being in the deposit zone of theupper field.

1 General description One method of representing items by perforation isto let each-perforation represent'a single digit and let the columnarlocation of each perforation be indicative of the digit represented.This method 'of perforation has a disadvantage of being cumbersome forit.is diflicult to provide for more than forty-five columns on the usualpunched card blank without undue crowding of the columns ofperforations. 'A card in which each digit is represented by a singleperforation is called herein a 45-column card.

'An increase to double the number of available columns can be effectedby using combination perforations. As an example of combinationperforations the odd digits may be represented by a single perforationand the even digits by two co-columnar perforations. way of representingthe even digits is to associate any single odd digit perforation withthe perforation which would represent 9 to represent the next higherconsecutive even digit. By using cards with twelve positions in eachcolumn and representing the even digits by combination code the desireddoubled capacity can be secured without disturbing the usual columnarspacing of the now well known card. A card with multiple perforations,equivalent to thatjust described will be, called a 90-column card.

The digits occurring in arithmetic are symbols representative ofquantities and similarly the perforations in a punched card may also beregarded as symbols. These symbols are related..to the'd'igit symbols bysome conventional rule or codifying system. 'It therefore follows thatthe perforation in a card is really a substitution. When a punched cardis read by a sensing mechanism certain elements are displaced, suchdisplacements characterize digits and may, hence, be called symbols.Such displacements are necessarily related tothe positions of theperforations, by the law or codifying action of the sensing device andtherefore the mechanical displacement is in mathematical terms, a.substitution. Manifestly, the digits themselves; at least theoretically,could have been represented in the first instance by the sensingmechanism displacements instead of by perforations in the intermediatepunched card. Further, such displacements are an invariable result ofthe combination of the law or system A convenient by which the card wasperforated and the law or system of the mechanism of the sensing device.Since the sensing mechanism usually controls the displacement of otherelements it would automatically generate another mechanical substitutionwhich might have been utilized (theoretically, if not practically) torepresent a digit in thefirst instance by a combination of the ruleswhich resulted in a perforation of the card and the rules which govenithe action of the sensing'mechanism displacement. Similar conditionshold in any punched card device for all displacements, which accordingto the law of operation, correspond to digits. In the case of a sorterthe final substitution is the mechanical displacement of mechanism forthe opening of a gate to receive asensed punched card into a pocket orreceptacle predetermined by the holes in the card itself. Each of thevarious substitutions above mentioned may be derived from anyrepresentation of digits by an orderly sequence of combinations of theintervening rules. Such substitutions may be (and frequently are)represented by an orderly series of interchanges of symbols whether thesubstitution so represented is a perforation or, a mechanicaldisplacement.

This outline of the application of substitution theory to thetranslating of punched cards appears to meet the requirements of thetheory of substitutions. The number of substitutions for any given codeis obviously limited, for the code is always composed of a limitednumber of symbol representations. Obviously, any code must always beinterpreted by its rule, and it can be changed when, and only when, itis transformed to another code. Different codes can be mutuallytranslated into each other, each with its own interpretations, and suchmutual translations must be accomplished by an ordered sequence ofoperations, which is determined by the interpretations of the codesthemselves. All these statements are true irrespective of therepresentation of the code such as perforations, mechanicaldisplacements, electrical impulses, etc. In mathematical terms each codeand each code transformation possess the group property. See Mathewsonin his text on Elementary Finite Groups, page 6.

Such a series of substitutions may conveniently include a norm orstandard form.- That is, given a certain code, the substitutions may beso made as to reduce it to a simple standard code from which thesubstitutions may be continued to yield the desired final code. Such asubstitution to a norm is particularly convenient since it permits ofthe conversion from substantially any given code to substantially anyother given code, and the procedure may, if desired, be regarded as twocomplete substitution cycles, the norm being merely a substitution ofthe original data, condition two.

The device of the present invention is, therefore, particularly adaptedto receive a series of cards having perforations therein according to agiven code, indicating certain data or information, and to deposit themin pockets which are marked to correspond to the indices perforated inthe cards.

The machine The matrix into which the present invention is to beembodied will now be briefly described. Referring to the drawings, thecards to be sorted are stacked and weighted in the magazine 2| (Fig. 1).The cards are fed one at a time from the bottom of the stack by asuitably located, power driven, harmonically operated picker 22 to thefirst of a series/of pairs of power driven feed rolls 23. These feedrolls convey the card to the second pair of feed rolls.

into position between a pair of matched perforated plates 24, where itis momentarily arrested by a temporarily interposed card. stop. The saidcard stop is mounted to move synchronously with the harmonically movingpower driven sensing pin box supporting cross head 25. Shortly after themovement of the card is arrested by the card stop, the sensing pins 26,which are mounted on the cross head 25, descend sufliciently .to readthe perforation (or perforations as the case may be) in the column towhich the sensing pins 26 have been previously adjusted. Any sensing pin26 (or pins as the case may be) which passes through a; perforation inthe card is automatically locked so as to be immovable with respect tothe descending cross head 25.- Continued descent of the cross head willcause positive actuation of the core of the corresponding Bowden wire 21to position (through mechanism to be described more fully hereinafter) arotating disksupported trigger 28. The positioning of any trigger 28opens a card gate 30 corresponding to the perforation, or perforations,which have been sensed during the downward movement of the cross head25.

The lower of the first pair of feeding rolls 23 is driven, preferably,by a belt from a suitable prime mover such as 20. The lower horizontalrow of feed rolls 23 are positively connected through a gear train so asto rotate synchronously in the same direction. The shaft 33 is driven bya pinion mounted on the shaft which supports one of the idlers of thefeed roll train, and carris an eccentric foroscillating the picker, anda. pair of eccentrics for reciprocating the cross head. The triggers 28are suportedon disks rigid with the shaft 34 which is driven in a anysuitable manner from shaft 33. Also a suitable gear train drives shaft35, which shaft drives the upper of the pairs of transporting rolls 32.When the cross head 25 has travelled upwardly a distance sufilcient towithdraw the card stop from the front edge of the sensed card, the feedrolls 23a eject the card to a position where-it will be engaged by thefirst of the pairs of transport rolls 32' (except that it happens theholes in the card have caused the gate 30 of the l2" receptacle toopen). The transport rolls 32 carry the sensed card onward, usually atprogressively decreasing speed, until it reaches the opened card gate 30of the pocket or receptacle 3| which corresponds to the interpretationof the hole in the punched card, as has been described in the precedingparagraph.

The sensing pins 26 may have the form 11- lustrated in Fig. 4whichcorresponds to thatof Fig. 5 in cited Lasker Patent 1,476,161,which is suchthat any one, or any group, can be locked over the sensingpin disabling bar 36'. Hence, when sorting according to perforations inthe upper field of a 90-column card those sensing pins 26 whichcorrespond to the six possible perforations of the lower half of thecard are disabled. Similarly, the pins corresponding to the upper halfof card field are disabled when sorting in the lower half of the card.When sorting'is done according tothe-"perforations of a -column cardnone of the sensing pins will be disabled, except as is described in thePatent 1,476,161 to Lasker.

An alternative form corresponding to that shown in the patent Koch1,234,348 of July 24, 1917 is conventionally shown in Fig. 1, which.

consists of a pair'of notched blades, either of which may disable thecorresponding set of sens-, -.v

ing pins.

Having thus far my improvements are applied; 1 will now describe themechanism of this disclosure in detail. I

Codes and cards Referring to the perforated card illustrated in Fig. 11it will be noted that the first twelve columns, constituting zone "a areperforated to represent consecutively the digits from 0 to 9 inclusiveand also those perforations usually designated as H and I2 which is theusual 45-column practice. The next ten columns (zone 1)) showperforations in the lower field of the card corresponding to theconsecutive array of digits 0 to 9 inclusive, thus a 0 corresponds tothe usual 4, 1 corresponds to the usual 5, combined perforations of theusual 5 and 9 correspond to 2, the

usual 6 corresponds to 3, the usual 6 and 9 correspond to 4, etc. Thelast ten columns (zone 0) show in the upper field a repetition ofindicated perforations of the preceding zone with a correspondingvariation in the usual values for the perforations. Thus, 0 correspondsto the usual 12, 1 to the usual 11, 2 to a combination of the usual 11and 3, etc., where the 9 corresponds with the usual 3.

As stated above, afn object of this invention is to provide a simplemechanism which will cause the sorting machine to function insubstantially the usual manner whether sorting is according to thesingle perforations indicated in zone a. or according to the combinationperforations in either zone 1) or zone 0. Itis thus seen that the sorteras improved by this invention is in reality three different machines inone.

'Interponent unit The gist of my invention consists, in part, of aseries of interponents placed at a convenient break in the usual Bowdenwire card gate controls of a sorting machine. Such interponents comprisea series of bellcrank levers 43 '(Figs. 2-5) for operating the one orthe other of two sets of interpreter wires 6l-62 for releasing firinglatches 46-41 to operate the trigger setting ends of the Bowden wires29. The elements comprising the interponent assembly are supported andcarried by'a pair of rigidly connected side frames 40 (Fig. 3) which hasturned over ears by which the entire assembly may be secured by suitablemeans, such as screws, to the main frame member 4| of Fig. 1. .The sideplates 40 are rigidly held in spaced relation to each other bya pair ofbell crank guiding combs 42, the firing which through the medium ofBowden wires 23 actuate the triggers which control the card gates 30.The side plates 40 support the ends of a rod 44 upon which are journaledthe bell cranks 43; a rod 53 upon which are journaled the spring urgedlatches 54; and the rod 46' on which are described the matrix tojoumaled the pairs of hubbed firing levers 46, 41. The side plates 40are provided with notches which serve as open bearings for the pintlesII which support .the partially rotatable interpreter cage 56. v

The inte preter cage 56 (Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8) consists of a pair of enddisks held in rigid relation to each other by four perforated bars 51and 58 and a pair of cross rods 60 thus making a rigid cage forsupporting and guiding the sets of doubly oil-set interpreter wire 6!and the lat-- erally off-set interpreter wires 62. Each of theperforated bars 58 is constructed of two parts so as to facilitate theassembly of the interpreter wires 6|, 62 which are flattened near theirupper ends as shown in Figs. '7 and 8 thereby holding the wires in theircorrect positions. The end plates of cage 56 and the frames 40 areprovided with studs 63 for anchoring thesprings '64 (Figs. 2 and 3)which serve to hold the cage in its bearings. Journaled on one of theframe supported studs 63 is a small hand'lever 65 provided with a slotthrough which extends one of the cage supported studs 63, thw providingthe means for rotating the interpreter cage 56 so that either of thesets of interpreter wires 62 or ii may be placed between the bell cranklevers 43 and latches 54 as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. In order toprotect the mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when it is mounted on thesorter, a

, formed sheet metal cover 68 (Fig. 1) is provided which may be attachedin any suitable manner.,...- The cover 68 is provided with a long narrowslit through which the adjusting lever 65 extends .and a scale whichindicates whether the cage 56 is set with interpreter wires 62 .inposition to interpret 45-column cards, or with interpreter wires 6| inposition for interpreting 90-c0lumn cards.

Sorting As shown in Fig. 1 each sensing pin 26 controls a Bowden wire21each of which has a predetermined lay. These wires are supportedimmediately beneath the card receptacles, and terminate in a suitablysupported terminal block 66 (Figs.- 2 and 3). Each of the cores ofBowdenwires 21 terminates in the usual plunger for acting on itsindividual bell crank 43. A typical train of the mechanism of thisinvention is shown in Fig. 4. There it is seen that downward movement ofa locked sensing pin 26 will displace the core of Bowden wire 21 to rockthe loosely pivoted bell crank 43 anti-clockwise and elevate acorresponding interpreter wire 6|. Hence the spring urged latch 54 isrocked anti-clockwise releasing a firing lever 46, which is rockedclockwise by the comparatively strong spring 61, thus shifting the coreof the corresponding Bowden wire 29 -to set the usual pin for thetripping trigger 2B. When the trigger arrives at approximately itshighest position during the continuous rotation of shaft 34. it willopen the card gate 30 (Fig. 1) to receive the correspondingly sensedcard which arrives at the opened gate shortly thereafter. The triggersetting Bofilen wires 29 are provided with'the usual plungefs slidablymounted in the terminal block 52 whence they are extended under theframe of the machine to their respective trigger operating terminal...The train of mechanism shown in Fig. 4- is typical of that correspondingto zero or any. odd digit during 90- column sorting in either the upperor lower field. In the case of the digit 9 this train is slightlymodified. as is best shown in Figs. 5 and 9, where release latch 1| withthe shutter 14. Hence, rocking of any trigtwo firing levers,

it appears that the mechanism is like that described above, up to andincluding the interpreter wire 6|, which in this case operates a releaselatch 1|. Member 1| is loosely joumaled on the shaft II and has anextension; which overlies the universal ball 12 (Figs. 5 and 9). Releaselatch H and ball 12 are connected by a comparatively strong spring 13which causes the bail to move upwardly in unison with said extension.The rear edge of the ball 12 is normally held in the path of the lowerhooked ends of the firing levers 41 so as to prevent their operationeven though one or moreof their latches 54 may have been released.

In the case of the 9 digit operation just described, the correspondingfiring lever 410 will be free to operate under the action of its strongspring 61 since the ball 12 is constrained to move with the member 1|.Hence the card gate corresponding to a 9 perforation will be properlyoperated through its particular Bowden wire 29.

At times during 90-column sorting two Bowden wires 21 operatesimultaneously, the one actuating a train of mechanism such as thatshown in Fig. 4 and the other actuating a train such as shown in Fig. 5.In this event, some heretofore undescribed elements modify the operationas will now be dscribed.= The forwardly extending nose of the latch 54is in contact with the spring pivoted universal bail 14, (Figs. 2, 3, 5and 9), and 30 is journaled at its ends on the rod 53. Journaled also onsaid rod is a special latch 15 adjacent to which latch 15 is resilientlyconnected to the said bail 14 by a light spring 16 (Fig. 9) andtherefore members 14 and 15 move in unison. The Ss firing lever 410 isprovided with a short laterally extending pin 11 which is engaged byahook on the upper edge of thespecial latch 15 when the latter rocksanti-clockwise ger 54 by any interpreter wire 6i (except the 9) causesthe special latch 15 to lock the 9's firing lever 41c against operation.As shown in Fig. 3, the majority of the latches 54 latch two firinglevers against operation; the one, 41, is provided with a downwardlyextending hook, the other, 46,

is without such hook. The release of a firing lever 46 corresponding toan odd digit, and of the special 9's firing lever 41 have been describedin the paragraphs immediately above. In the case underconsiderationthere is a combination of these two operations. Ball 12 rises with theoperation of the 9's interpreter wire releasing firing levers 410 foroperation and blocking firing levers 46 because it now lies in the pathof their extreme lower ends. Summarizing, an odd interpreter wire(except I1 and 9) rocksa latch. 54 to potentially release 46 and 41. Ifthe 9's interpreter wire 6| is not operated the ball 12 remains atnormal and blocks the members 41 against operation, but, if the 9sinterpreter is operated ball 12 is elevated by the movement of thespecial latch 1| and the members 41 are released while the members 46are blocked against operation. 65 Hence, even though two firing leversare unlatched by an interpreter Wire one and only one will fire due tothe selective blocking action of ball 12.

Single perforation code interpreters In order to preserve the describedinter-relation of the firing levers and their latches, the 45- columninterpreter wires are specially connected. These connections arediagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 10. The interpreters operated by 75the 6, i2, 4, 8 and 2 sensing pins are stubs which do not directlyoperateon latches 54, (see also Figs. and 7). Each of the remainingseven interpreter wires is directly operative upon its correspondinglatch 54. Rigidly attached to each of the stub interpreter wires 88 is alaterally extending arm 86 for operating an adjacent interpreter wire62. An off-set arm 81 is rigidly attached with the interpreter wireoperated by the 2 sensing pin to operate the interpreter wire associatedwith the I sensing pin. In Fig. the collars 85 are shown conventionallyand indicate that the interpreter wires 62 may be operated either by thearms 86 or 81, or by the corresponding lever 43. The interpreter-wire62, associated with the digit 9, is fixed to the yoke 90, and aprojection on said yoke is slidable with respect to the interpreter wire62 associated with the digit 2. Projections on the yoke 98 overlie allof thestub wires 88, so that the operation of any stub interpreter wire88 usually causes the operation of its associated wire 82 and inaddition thereto the wire associated with 9. The set of connectionsshown in 'Fig. 10 insures the correct selection of the firing lever 46or 41, which lever is then released and actuates the opening of the 4card gate which corresponds to the perforation sensed.

Combination perforation code interpreters In the description of thematrix of this invention it was shown that when sorting in either fieldof the card the sensing pins 26, corresponding to the other half of thecard, are locked out by the bar 36. When half the sensing pins aredisabled it therefore follows that only the other half can act upon theinterpreter wires Bl. An inspection of Figs. 4, 5 and 8 shows that anyinterpreter wire 6| may be operated by either of a pair of adjacent bellcranks 43 because the lower end of each interpreter wire 6| isbifurcated. The lay of the Bowden wires 21 is such that thwe whicharesix spaces apart at the sensing pins actuate. adjacent members 43.Thus the terminals of the Bowden wires operated by the 2 and 8 sensingpins are adjacent. Those corresponding to the l and I sensing pins alsoare adjacent, etc.

If the lever 65 shown in Fig. 1 is shifted to the iii-column positionshown in Fig. 2 the 45-column interpreter wires 62 will be interposedbetween the bell crank levers 43 and the latches 54 and H. Due to theabove described inter-relation between the firing levers 46 and 41 andthe latches 54 and H a change from sorting of combination code tosorting of straight or usual code will involve soine special, yetsimple, problems.

Firing lever selection From the above description it will be noted thatrelease latch H and bail 12 move in unison due to the resilientconnection through spring 13. For the proper operation of this device itis nec-. essary normally that the special latch H be urged to a positionsuch that 9's firing lever 41 is latched against operation. This is mostreadily accomplished by the use of a spring 18 .(Figs. 2 and 3) attachedto a forwardly extending projection of one of the supporting side armsof the universal bail 12. Also, the resiliently connected elementscomprising universal bail I4 and special latch must be urged to aposition such as to normally prevent operation of the 9s firing lever41c. This is readily accomplished by alight spring 88 (Fig. 2) extendingfrom a stud rigid with a side plate and a hook on one of the supportingarms of the universal ball 14.

When any of the firing levers 46 or 41 have been released, it isnecessary to provide mechanism for restoring it to its normal latchedpositions. This is accomplished by universal rod 8!, best shown in Figs.2, 3 and 6, which is supported at its extremities by suitable arms rigidwith the supporting rod 48. In order to lighten the work performed byspring 61, the restoring rod is normally urged upwardly by a pair ofsprings 82 (Fig. 2). The rod 8| is positively forced downwardlyagainstthe tension of springs 82 and, by a cam operated lever 83, which issupported on a stud carried by the main frame, and eccentrically mountedto permit minute adjustment. One end of lever 83 overlies the elongatedsupporting arm of the restoring rod 8|. Alternatively, the lever 83 maybe extended to the midpoint of said rod. The restoring arm 83 ispositively operated by a cam 84 (Figs. 1 and 6) mounted on the triggerdisk carrying'shaft ,34. In order to avoid delicate timing relationsbetween the spacing latch 15 and the 9's firing lever 410 more than oneinterpreter wire is elevated, recourse is had to holding the restoringbail 8| in restoring position until about the time that the sensing pins26 have reached approximately their lowermost positions, at which timethe restoring lever 83 is suddenly released thereby insuring, if theexigency of the case requires, the disabling of the released 9's firinglever 410 by the special latch 15.

The described operations occur when sorting according to the combinationperforations in either the upper half or the lower half of the.

card shown'in Fig. 11.

Any attempt to describe each and all 01' the connections and operationsof the hereinbefore briefly described parts for every sensingcombination would unduly prolong this specification without addingclarity thereto. As indicated at the beginning of this specification thedifferent combinations which are possible are limited only by thepossible number of simple substitutions. The tables of Figs. 12 and 13are merely symbolical representations of letter to letter substitutiongroups and are presented as typical substitution systems.

Referring to Fig. 12, there appears in the first column aseries 'ofnumbers. These are representative of the twelve possible perforations ina column of a' card and are arranged according to the usual manner ofnaming these positions. The second column shows by letters theconnections through wire 21 to terminal block 66 (Fig. 3). That is thesensing pin in the 12" position terminates at h in block 66. The thirdcolumn also shows a series of letters identical to those in the secondcolumn. The table is then read thus: Sensing pin l2 actuates wire 21h tocause the movement of lever 43h. The fourth column, headed Interpreterwires 62 shows a series of letters which indicate the specificinterpreter wires that are moved by the actuation of the precedingelement of mechanism. Thus pin I 2 actuates in turn wire 21h, lever 43hand through members 86 and 98 (Figs. 7 and 10) interpreters 62c, 6272,and 622'. The fifth column shows the firing lever combination which isaffected by the activity of the next preceding member, namely,interpreterwire 62. In the particular instance these are levers 48s, Heand 410 (Figs. 4, 5, and 9). Column six shows the numbers of theeffective, that is fired levers. In the illustrative example, usingsensing pin l2, mechanism associated with 9's firing lever latch 1|blocks levers 46c and 410 leaving 41c active. The series of letters incolumn seven indicate the respective wires 29 which are actuated by therelease of a firing lever, in the present illustra-' tion, h. The eighthcolumn shows the number oi the card pocket which is controlled.

In a similar manner, the performance of the various elements in sensinga column, or double capacity, card and selecting the appropriate pocket3| may be read on Fig. 13. As an illustration let it be assumed that acard is perforated in the upper half, or zone, and in positions H and 3.Wires 212' and 27] are displaced androck levers 431' and 43). Thesecause the interpreter GM with its tied-in interpreter 6H and interpreter6b with its tied-in wire 81c to be elevated (see Fig, 8). Interpreter6|i i causes the unlatching of firing levers 46b and 47b and interpreter6|af causes the unlatching of 410, whereupon, mechanism associated with9's firing lever latch H and previously described withholds levers 48band Ale permitting 47b to be released. This latter lever actuates wire29a to open the gate which controls the 2's pocket 3|.

If it be assumed that the perforations are in positions 5 and 9 whichare in the so-called lower zone, the entries in the two and threecolumnsare differentairom those in the previousillustration, while thevalues in the remaining columns are identical. It may be noted, however,that the movements of 211' (line 3) and 217' (line 13) are tied-in onthe same interpreter wire 6| .(see Fig. 8) and that 21c and 21 are alsotied-in. The result of the actuation of the chain of mechanism indicatedin line I3 will then produce the same result as was caused by theactuation of the mechanism indicated in line 3'.

We have then, in each of the Figs. 12 and 13, a system of substitutionsuch that, although the perforations in the card are indicative ofdifferent digits through the system of codification, they are of likemeaning, and they will be received in the same pocket 39.

While there are above described but a limited number of embodiments ofthe invention, it is possible to produce still other embodiments withoutdeparture from the inventive concept above disclosed, and it is,therefore, desired that only such limitations shall be imposed on theappended claimsas are stated therein, or required by the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, means for sensing data uponrecords made in accordance with a plurality of codes, an oscillatableassembly comprising an interpreting device including dual sets orelements operable by said data sensing means for interpreting senseddata in accordance with any of the said plurality of codes, card gatescontrolled by said interpreting device, and manual means foralternatively setting said oscillatable assembly to bring one or theother of said dual sets of elements into operative position.

2. In a machine of the class described, a reciprocatory sensingmechanism, card gates controlled thereby, and interponents between saidsensing mechanism and card gates, which interponents comprise a set ofdisplacement transmitting elements actuated by said sensing mechamentsin operative position.

nism, dual sets of displacement transmit-ting members rockably mountedand alternatively operable by said last named elements and additiona1displacement transmitting elements for selecting said card gates. v

3. In a machine of the class described, a reciprocatory sensingmechanism for reading any of a plurality of codes, card gates controlledthereby, and interponents between said sensing mechanism and said cardgates, which interponents include sets of displacement transmittingelements, a rockable interpreter cage comprising dual sets of elementsfor transmitting displacements in accordance with a given one of saidplurality of codes.

4. In a machine of the class described, a reciprocatory sensingmechanism including optionally active sensing pins, card gatescontrolled thereby, interponents between said pins and said card gates,which interponents include a set of interpreteractuating levers, dualsets of rockably mounted alternatively operative interpreter elemenbsand sets of firing levers actuated by said interpreter elements forselecting said card gates.

5. In a machine of the class described, a recip- 5 rocatory sensingmechanism for sensing perforations in records, card gates controlledthereby, interponents between said sensing mechanism and said cardgates, which interponents include sets I of displacement transmittingelements, a rockably settable interpreter cage containing plural sets ofalternatively operative interpreters, a set of interpreter actuatinglevers and plural sets of firing levers, said cage and levers beingbetween the said sets of displacement transmitting elements.-

6. In a machine of the class described, I, reciprocatory sensing pinmechanism including a plurality of optionally active sensing pins, adisplacement transmitting element associated with each 4 sensing pin, aninterpreter displaced by the last named elements, means whereby onesensing pin may displace a plurality of interpreters, sets of firinglevers controlled by said interpreters, and means controlled bythe saidinterpreters for releasing only one firing lever of one of the sets offiring levers.

7. In a machine of the class described, a series of optionally activesensing pins and a corresponding series of card gates controlledthereby, 5(

sets of interponents between saidpins and said gates, which interponentscomprise sets of displacement transmitting elements, an interpreter unithaving plural sets of interpreter elements mounted therein andoscillatably disposed between said sets of displacement transmittingelements and manipulative for alternatively placing one or the other ofsaid sets of interpreter ele- 8. In a machine 01' the class described, aseries of optionally active sensing pins, a corresponding series of cardgates controlled thereby, plural sets of displacement transmittinginterponents between said pins and said card gates, a set of interpreteractuating levers'and plural sets of firing levers between said sets ofdisplacement transmitting interponents, an interpreter cage mounted onpintlesand containing plural sets of interpreters between said sets oflevers, and a sin- 70 gle manipulative device for alternatively rockingsaid interpreter cage to place one interpreter of a said set ofinterpreters in position to be operated by one of said active sensingpins.

3 9. In a machine of the class described, a series 7 of reciprocatoryoptionally active sensing pins and a corresponding series of card gatesto be selected thereby, sets of displacement transmitting interponentsbetween said pins and said gates, an dscillatable interpreter cagebetween said sets of displacement transmitting interponents, and asingle manipulative means to position said cage, to render each of saidgates actuable according to the activity of said sensing pins.

10. In a machine of the class described, a series of optionallyselectable sensing pins and a corresponding series of card' gatescontrolled thereby, sets -'of' displacement transmitting interponentsbetween said pins and said gates, an oscillatable interpreter. cagebetween said sets oi displacement transmitting interponents, and asingle manipulative means for oscillatingsaid interpreter cage andthereby optionally selecting which of said sensing pins shall berendered-active or inactive.

11. In a machine of the class described, a series of optionally activesensing pins and a corresponding series of card gates selectablethereby, groups of displacement transmitting interponents between saidpins and said gates, said groups being arranged in sets, a rockablymounted interpreter cage between said displacement transmittinginterponents, and a single manipulative means associated with said cageto cause each of said pins to select a gate appropriateto' the settingof said interpreter cage.

12. In combination with a plurality of sets of optionally activereciprocatory sensing pins, a set. of card gates controllable thereby,and dual sets of displacement transmitting interponents between saidpins and said gates, a rockably mounted interpreter cage between saidsets of displacement transmitting interponents, and asingle manipulativemeans for rocking said interpreter cage.

to optionally control all the gates by all the pins of a selected set orcontrol all the gates by all the pins of all the sets.

13. In combination with a plurality of sets of optionally active,reciprocatory sensing pins, a set of card gates selectable thereby, andsets of displacement transmitting interponents between said pins andsaid gates, optionally selectable sets of interpreters rockably mountedbetween said sets of displacement transmitting interponents, a singlemanipulativedevice for selecting said sets of interpreters and meanswhereby any selected setof pins control said gates through one of thesaid sets of interpreters.

14. In combination with a set of optionally active record sensing pins,a set of card gates controllable thereby and plural sets of displacementtransmitting interponents between said pins and said gates, a unitbetween said sets of displacement transmitting interponents which -unitcomprises a set of interpreter actuating levers, plural sets ofinterpreters, plural sets of firing levers and latches therefor, meanscon-.

trolled by said interpreters whereby firing levers are all unlatched andadditional means under control of said interpreters whereby only one ofsaid latches operates to open a card gate.

15. In a machine of the class described, plural sets of optionallyactive record sensing pins and a set of card gates controllableby any ofsaid sets of pins, sets of displacement transmitting interponentsbetween said pins and said gates with a set of interpreter actuatinglevers, plural sets of optionally selectable interpreters, plural setsof firing levers and latches therefor between said sets of displacementtransmitting interponents, means controlled by'said interpreters forunlatching said firing levers, additional means controlled by saidinterpreters for controlling the selection of a single firing lever,means independent of .the set of active sensing pins for controlling theopening of a'card gate, and optionally operable manipulative means forselecting the set of pins to be made active. 16. In a machine of theclass described, plural sets of optionally active sensing pins and a.set of card gates to be selected by any set of said pins, a series ofmechanical displacement transmitting nterponentsbetween said pins andsaid gates, which interponents generate a series of mechanicalsubstitutions, and a single optionally operable rockable manipulative.means for determining the character of the said substitutions.

17. In a machineof the class described, plural sets of optionally activesensing pins for sensing perforations according to difiering codes, aset of card gates to be selected by any of said sets of pins, 9. seriesof mechanical displacement transmitting interponents between said pinsand said gates for generating a series of substitutions and oscillatableoptionally operable manipulative means for determining the character ofthe said substitutions whereby any setting of said manipulative meansinsures that said substitution is identical to the code.

18. In a machine of the class described, in combination with plural setsof optionally active sensing pins for sensing perforations according todifiering codes, a set of card gates to be selected by any set of saidpins, of a series of mechanical displacement transmitting interponents,including plural setsof interpreters between said pins and said gates,means for causing the said interponents to generate difiering series ofsubstitutions, and oscillatable manipulative means for determiningtheseries of substitutions to be generated.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination of plural setsof optionally 'active sensing pins for sensing perforations in a record,a set of card gates" to be selected thereby, a series of mechanicaldisplacement transmitting interponents between said pins and said gates,which interponents generate a series of substitutions, and amanipulative oscillatable device which associates a set of said sensingpins with said gates and concomitantly determines the substitutionswhich correspond to the displacement transmitting interponents 20. Inamachine for sorting data, record cards which are perforated according toone of a plurality of codes, optionally selectable sensing pins,elements for the transmission of the sensed data and card gates equal innumber to the number of possible perforation positions which gates areselected by said sensing pins through said transmission elements, incombination with oscillatory manipulative means, to condition a singlesorting machine for sorting according to a plurality of codeperforations.

21. In a machine for sorting data, record cards perforated according toa plurality of codes, the combination of card sensing means, pocketsequal in number to the number of pasisible perforation positions in acard fof the reception of said cards, which pockets are under control 70of gates, and a plurality of coupling mechanisms under control of arockable manipulative device, whereby said-gatesare selected by a seriesof substitutions according to the indic'es perf rated in said card. 75

22. In a machine controlled by perforations in a card, the combinationof a set of sensing pins, one for each index position on the card, a setof card gates to be selected, and displacement transmitting meansbetween said sensing pins and said card gates whereby a number oftransmitting members less than the number of said card gates may selectany of said card gates according to a combination code, saiddisplacemerit transmitting means comprising a switching device, andtranslating members associated therewith which translate a singleimpulse from each of a number of sensing pins equal to the number ofsaid card gates into combination code, and transmit said impulse to saidselecting means, which thereupon selects the one of said card gatesappropriate to the sensing pin operated.

23. In a machine controlled by perforations in a card, the combinationof a set of sensing pins, one for each index position on the card, a setof card gates to be selected, and displacement transmitting meansbetween said sensing pins and said card gates whereby a number oftransmitting members less than the number of said card gates may selectany of said card gates according to a combination code, saiddisplacement transmitting means comprising a switching device, andtranslating members associated therewith which translate impulses from anumber of sensing pins equal to the number of said card gates intostraight code, and transmit said impulses to said selecting means, whichthereupon select the one of said card gates appropriate to the singlesensing pin operated.

24. In a machine controlled by perforations in a card, the combinationof sensing pins adapted to perform according to either straight orcombination code, mechanism operated thereby to select card gates, saidmechanism comprising dual setsof displacement transmitting elements,and. a switching device therebetween which may be turned on itsmountings and thereby set according to the code in which the cards areperforated.

25. Ina machine controlled by perforations in a card the combination ofsensingpins, one for each index position on the card, means forsegregating said sensing pins into groups appropriate to combinationcodes, card gates equal in number to the number of index positions and aswitching device comprising translating means for actuating said gate bysaid sensing pins mounted on pintles and forming part of said actuatingmeans for selecting a card gate appropriate to the indicia perforated inthe card.

26. A manually rockable translating device, comprising dual sets oftranslating members, one

of said sets being adapted to receive impulses according to a known codefrom a number of sources greater than the number of translating members,to translate said impulses to a basic code and to re-translate saidimpulses to the original code and actuate impulse transmitting elements,the other of said 'sets being adapted to receive impulses according to adiflferent code from a number of sources equal to the number oftranslating members, to translate said impulses to the same basic codeand re-translate said impulses to the code of said first set to actuatesaid impulse transmitting elements.

27. In a code impulse transmitting system, a set of translating membersadapted to receive impulses according to a known code and translate saidimpYflses to a basic code, another set of translating members adapted toreceive impulses according to a diilerent code and translate saidimpulses to said basic code, a suitable rockable mounting for said setsof translating members to permit the optional selection of either ofsaid sets of translating members, sets of levers operable by saidtranslating members for transmitting the impulses received from saidtranslating members and a universal means associated with said leversfor selecting a single lever .of one of said sets.

28. In a machine which operates according to coded data perforated incards, mechanism for lead wires for the transmission sensing said data;of said data to a translating device, said translating device comprisinga set of elements less than the number of lead wires and adapted totranslate data coded according to a known code to a basic code, a set ofelements equal in number to the lead wires and adapted to translate datacoded according to a different code to a basic code and a rockablemounting for said sets of elements to permit the setting of saidtranslating device according to the code in which said cards areperforated; lead wires for the further transmission of said data; setsof levers for the control of said last named lead wires; and -meansunder control 01' said translating device to select a single one of saidsecond lead wires and render it effective for the transmission of thedata received from said sensing mechanism. v

29. A device for transmitting coded impulses comprising a plurality ofspring actuated levers. arranged in pairs, latches for restraining saidlevers, means for efiecting the selectig n of a pair of said levers anduniversal means associated with said levers for releasing in theselected pair one lever which is appropriate to the coded impulsesreceived.

WILLIAM W. LASKER.

